Shocker! Does a Doan Sign-and Trade Deal Make Sense for the Phoenix Coyotes?

Bruce Bennett/Getty ImagesDoan is a pillar of the Phoenix Coyotes franchise. Could he be traded to save money for the financially beleagured franchise?

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The Shane Doan saga finally ended this offseason on September 14th when he penned a 4-year deal for $21.2 million with the Phoenix Coyotes. Multiple teams made serious offers for the veteran winger as he was one of the most highly sought after free agents this year. But Doan's heart has always been in Phoenix and he has always wanted to remain in the desert.

"I'm glad to get it over with and get the deal done," Doan said from Jobing.Com Arena per ESPN.com. "It's a deal that's been mostly done for a little while, but I wanted to wait a little while to see what happens."

But, when Doan signed his deal, he was under the impression that the ownership dilemma in Phoenix would soon settle as former San Jose Sharks CEO Greg Jamison was solidifying and finalizing his deal with the City of Glendale and the NHL to purchase the team.

It is almost November and Jamison still does not own the Coyotes. In fact, an article was written by the Arizona Republic this week in which Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs has flip-flopped her stance regarding the team and is now not opposed to seeing the team leave the Valley of the Sun.

Glendale City Councilwoman Joyce Clark, a proponent of the Jamison group, believes that the deal is close to completion and that the final t's are being crossed and the i's are being dotted. She feels that the whole agreement will be up in front of the city council in mid-November.

We, in the Phoenix metro area, have heard this all before. The question that has to be asked is what happens to the team if the deal is not finalized and will the NHL, who will retain ownership of the team, look to cut costs if the ownership deal falls through.

I cannot see the Coyotes dealing the face of their franchise for multiple reasons. Doan wants to remain in Phoenix to finish his career. His family likes Phoenix. The community has embraced he and his good guy image. His teammates love him. He sells tickets in this city. He embodies the heart and soul of a Dave Tippett coached team. He just signed a new deal which locks him up at over $5 million per year for the next four years. He is still a point producing, physical presence that holds value around the league.

However, all of the aforementioned is what unfortunately what makes him attractive to potential suitors.

The only way that I think Doan would want to leave the Coyotes is if the team is planning on leaving Phoenix. Then, I think he and his family would think long and hard about relocating to an area that he could eventually retire in. If the Jamison deal falls through and the NHL is seriously considering relocation, watch how many suitors begin to line up to try to acquire Doan near the trading deadline. At that point, it might benefit the Coyotes to get what they could for Doan moving forward while his value is still high.